its a liittle embarrasing

poms

Hi,

Myself and my husband have started ttc and we've run into a problem. Everything was fine when we were using condoms but now as we are going "au natural" things are a little dry. We need some lubrication but I heard before that lube can kill sperm.

Is this true? or is there a lube thats safe enough to use that wont damage the sperm?



A very embarrased
Poms :o

Nevyn

Lube won't kill sperm, spermicide kills sperm.
Find something which works for the both of you and good luck wiht it.

Das Kitty

Also be aware that thicker lubes can impede the sperm's progress (like KY).

We used a very light one (Durex Sensilube) and it worked fine.

There is also one called Pre-Seed which is supposed to keep the sperm alive for longer but I've never used it and as far as I know you have to buy it online.

iguana

Thaedydal wrote: »

Lube won't kill sperm, spermicide kills sperm.
Find something which works for the both of you and good luck wiht it.

Lubricant does kill sperm and is not advised for use by couples who are trying to concieve.

However, three decades of peer reviewed, published research has shown that all existing vaginal lubricants studied to date harm sperm, resulting in rapid losses in their viability (% live) and motility (% swimming). Specifically, there have been at least 11 studies on this topic conducted in Medical school settings, reviewing the effect of 16 different lubricants on sperm, including all of the top selling brands, such as KY, Astroglide and Replens. In each study, sperm motility and viability were dramatically reduced after exposure to even small concentrations (<10%) of these products.

http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/infertility/lubricants.htm

However Pre-Seed was developed in order to avoid this problem and each batch is tested to make sure it has no negative impact on sperm before being packaged. I'm not sure where in Ireland it's sold but you can get it on ebay.ie

http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=pre-seed

poms

Thanks so much for the advice

Nevyn

Again I would say there is a difference in lube making the conditions less then optimal and it killing all the sperm like a spermicide.

If you are not using latex then tbh I would say go natural and organic with almond oil.

iguana

Thaedydal wrote: »

Again I would say there is a difference in lube making the conditions less then optimal and it killing all the sperm like a spermicide.

If you are not using latex then tbh I would say go natural and organic with almond oil.

Did you read through the article I linked to, it's really in depth and was written by a woman with a doctorate in reproductive physiology. A lot of lubricants have had the exact same sperm destroying properties as spermicide and doctors recommend that couple trying to conceive avoid them.

Specific data from these studies show:

* A spermicidal or sperm killing activity of the leading three brands of lubricants as being equivalent to contraceptive jellies such as Gynol. In these studies, sperm had ZERO motility after 30 minutes of contact with the top three selling lubricant products.
* These effects are concentration dependent and were seen even with low concentrations (1-6%) depending on the lubricant product.
* Critically, the negative effect of lubricants on sperm includes decreasing sperm penetration into the cervix in vivo, as determined by the post-coital test (PCT).

In order for conception to occur, motile sperm must be able to penetrate into cervical mucus and proceed to the Fallopian tubes in adequate numbers. Existing lubricant products rapidly decrease sperm motility, thus possibly decreasing the numbers of sperm penetrating the cervix and being able to participate in fertilization. The following quotes from these lubricant studies highlight the investigators' deep concerns with the use of vaginal lubricants by TTC couples (see a complete list of these references at www.helpconceive.com).

Dept of ObGyn; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "For couples with infertility, the use of vaginal lubricants during intercourse is not recommended."

Dept of ObGyn; University of Connecticut. "We conclude that all traditional vaginal lubricants should be avoided in patients desiring conception."

Dept of ObGyn; University of Minnesota. "The spermicidal effect of the lubricants was statistically significant. The lubricants had a similar effect on both normal and abnormal semen specimens."

Dept of ObGyn; Uniformed Service University, Bethesda, MD. "In vivo (in people) data demonstrated severe impairment to sperm penetration of mid-cycle human cervical mucus by the lubricant."

Oils aren't recommended either as they have sperm destroying properties. There is certain evidence that hen's egg white is safe, but it's messy and not enough testing has been done on this. Another possible alternative is to take chesty cough medicine containing guaifenesin (but not a decongestant) as this thins mucus. It's designed to break down phlegm but it's not target specific and thins cervical mucus when it's been taken, making the woman wetter and more hospitable to sperm.

Khannie

Maybe a stupid question, but is spending longer at foreplay an option?

poms

Thanks to you all for all your help and advice its been so helpful. To answer your question Khannie yes we have tried long periods of time with foreplay until it gets to the point where it is frustrating for both of us.

Condoms have a lubricant on them so in the past its been a great help but now when we are ttc and supposed to be having fun doing this but its getting more and more frustrating and we end up being mad at each other

DetectivFoxtrot

would agree with Iguana. I've looked a good bit into it also as I am ttc and even saliva can affect sperm :eek: so too much foreplay (of an oral nature), whilst it would get you lubricated, could do more harm than good!

I've hear great reports on Preseed, haven't tried it yet though

good luck with it

iguana wrote: »

Did you read through the article I linked to, it's really in depth and was written by a woman with a doctorate in reproductive physiology. A lot of lubricants have had the exact same sperm destroying properties as spermicide and doctors recommend that couple trying to conceive avoid them.



Oils aren't recommended either as they have sperm destroying properties. There is certain evidence that hen's egg white is safe, but it's messy and not enough testing has been done on this. Another possible alternative is to take chesty cough medicine containing guaifenesin (but not a decongestant) as this thins mucus. It's designed to break down phlegm but it's not target specific and thins cervical mucus when it's been taken, making the woman wetter and more hospitable to sperm.

Nevyn

I did read it, found it very intresting and while I agree every thing you can do to increase your chances should be done with in reason but not to the detrement of the well being of the couple and thier relationship.

Have you looked at upping how much water you are drinking and fruit juices per day as to up your bodies chances of making more naturally occuring lube?

I know I find a difference in how much fuilds I tend to produce in relation to how much I have consumed over the last 48 hours.

iguana

Thaedydal wrote: »

I did read it, found it very intresting and while I agree every thing you can do to increase your chances should be done with in reason but not to the detrement of the well being of the couple and thier relationship.

And how is choosing a specially designed lubricant instead of a standard one going to cause deterioration to the couple or their relationship? Spending months/years needlessly failing to conceive because you were using a product that is thwarting your goal can cause relationship problems, not doing your homework and buying the right products.

Nevyn

IF they can get a specaily designed product great if not then I would say it is better to pick the best they can all things considered like almond oil rather then trying to have sex with out any lube which has got to be painful and be off putting and add even more stress to thier relationship.

I understand it is better to do all the research you can to work towards the optimal conditions but stress levels due to over focusing are often counter productive to conceiving.

I certianly hear your frustration poms and hope you find some of the solutions put foward to be helpful and you have good news soon.

poms

Thanks to you all so so much for your advice and help. We have taken all this on board and are working towards getting the best result possible. We have decided to relax with all this and not to be stressed out.

Hopefully I'll have some good news


Poms

Nicki123

I can vouch for the Pre Seed. I sometimes have lubrication issues too when I get a bit anxious or overthink the situation so we decided to give the pre seed a shot. The result is now 7 months old . I bought it from an Irish website and will definitley be using it again when we decide to try from number 2.

poms

I went on the net and discovered some pharmacys stock Pre-seed and I was able to find a pharmacy close to me that stocked it so thanks to those who recommended it. Hope it works!


Now.....down to the baby making

jrd_old

poms wrote: »

I went on the net and discovered some pharmacys stock Pre-seed and I was able to find a pharmacy close to me that stocked it so thanks to those who recommended it. Hope it works!


Now.....down to the baby making

Best of luck.. am ttc too, had a similar problem before, but I found it was more linked to me overthinking things and getting too stressed out...